Self-Care for a Healthy Life

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10 Tips to Take Care of You

Life is busy. “Me time” can feel like the last thing on your endless to-do list. But self-care is an incredibly important component of a healthy lifestyle. When you don’t take the time for your own needs, you can end up overwhelmed, burnt out or even ill. Taking care of yourself is the foundation for taking care of your family, friends and responsibilities.

Consider these 10 tips to self-care:

1. Listen to Your Body

If you’re feeling rundown and stressed, it’s a safe sign that you need to take a time out. Evaluate your obligations and reset limits for reasonable expectations, making especially sure you’re getting enough rest.

2. Rest and Play

Take time to rest and play, whatever those two things mean to you. It can help you re-energize and stay balanced. Read a book, watch a movie or play a card game. Take a bath or find time for a nap with no alarm. Whether mindless pleasures or intellectual exercise, spend time doing exactly what you want.

3. Get Creative

You may begin to feel like your life is a series of mechanical motions while rushing around, taking care of others, or tending to work responsibilities. Turn to more creative pursuits. It can be as simple as creating an inspirational vision board. For some, spending a little time daydreaming an imaginary getaway can do wonders for the psyche. Listening to your favorite music can help soothe too!

4. Go Outside

Spending time outside benefits the brain. Taking a walk or practicing yoga in a park also offers a little bit of exercise that can get endorphins going without feeling like another chore on your list.

5. Get Social

Spend time with your loved ones, but also connect with friends you haven’t seen in a while. If work is taking up all your time or your newborn has overwhelmed your social calendar, make the effort to meet your own interpersonal needs. Call your friends, do you favorite things and most importantly, laugh.

Eat a mood boosting breakfast full of lean proteins and complex carbs for feel good chemicals, like cereal with strawberries and bananas. Green, as a rule of thumb, is always good!

Green, as a rule of thumb, is always good!

7. Eat for You

Sometimes you may feel like a short order cook, making food to please everyone or throwing together the usual for your own lunch. Find that list of recipes you’ve bookmarked and cook what you want, for you. Then find a peaceful place and dig in!

8. Use Words

Affirmations are a surprisingly influential strategy for many people looking to feel inspired and at peace with all that’s on their plate.

On the other hand, no one will fault you for a good old-fashioned venting session. Find an understanding – and uninvolved – friend, the mirror will do too, and just let it all out. Then, take a deep breath and brainstorm how to make it better.

9. Embrace Maybe

You don’t have to say yes. You know yourself best; listen to your body and your mind before signing up for a new project or making another commitment. If it’s not in your nature to say no, start with a soft maybe. Keep your peers in the loop with your schedule, and they’ll understand that’s the most responsible and healthful answer you can give.

10. Ask for Help

Learning to say no is an important step. Making time to see friends in your support system is significant. Finding the words to inspire and articulate your situation, likewise. Beyond acknowledging a situation has gotten out of hand, hearing your own voice validate what’s going on can really help when you take the next step and ask for help.

The people around you may not know the degree to which you’re looking for support, how to best respond or help you out. When you accept that you, just like your friends and family, are vulnerable, you can find the strength from a community that will take care of you.

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